Tears of Amber
by Mrs. Majere
Summary: Chemosh seduced the last Irdah. It is up to a blind cleric of Mina, Goddess of Tears, and her friend Valum, to save the half-Irdah half-god child. If Chemosh gets her, Krynn will be ruled by the dead.
1. Chapter 1

Tears of Amber

Chapter One

Minitha's purple robes swished around her as she went to kneel by the altar in the silent temple of Mina, Goddess of Tears. The altar, made of amber and shaped like a teardrop, was covered in a black velvet and a yellow daisy sat in the middle. This daisy, blessed by Mina, never died as long as the clerics tended it. These clerics were here to welcome the faithless, the abandoned, the hopeless, the suicidal. Minitha was one of those. Her family had been killed in a fire that also consumed their home, which had perched in a vallenwood in Solace, near the Inn of the Last Home. Sixteen-year-old Minitha was struck blind, devastated and hopeless. She considered killing herself, and would have, if she had not been found by the clerics of the black obsidian Temple of Tears. Minitha had nowhere to go, and she went to the Temple, hoping to find comfort. The clerics welcomed her. She was added to their ranks, having nowhere else to go, and the goddess herself spoke to her. Mina was the reminder that pain was a necessary part of mortality, but she also comforted the pained. Minitha heard the swishing robes of a fellow cleric. She heard the clearing of a throat.

"Sorry to interrupt your prayers." said a deep male voice.

"But the High Priestess has requested a meeting with you."

Minitha rose, knowing that she was the only person at the altar, so he couldn't be talking to anyone else.

"You may take my arm, lady." said the voice.

"Thank you, sir." said Minitha, and she felt a gentle, warm hand take hers and place it on a warm muscular arm covered in velvety purple robes.

"I am Valum." said the man.

"I am Minitha. I am a low-ranking cleric. Do you know what it is the priestess wants with me?"

"I do not know." said Valum.

"It must be important, however, if she is interrupting morning prayers with it."

Minitha agreed. Through all her three months of being a cleric, the priestess had never asked for her, except at the very beginning, to welcome her.

"We're here." said Valum.

He opened the door of the priestess's chambers, and he led Minitha inside. She felt the soft carpet beneath her bare feet. Valum led her to a soft cushion on the floor, where the priestess sat across from her. He squeezed her hand and left.

"Good morning, priestess." Minitha said softly.

"May Mina bless our mornings with comfort."

Minitha nodded. Her blinded eyes could still see some, like light and shadows and colors. She could see that the priestess had dark hair and equally dark skin. She could see nothing more, however. Minitha's own hair was dark brown, but her eyes were strikingly blue, despite the fire damage. Her skin was pale ivory. She had long, slender hands with delicate fingers. She was petite and slender.

"What is it you have called me for, Priestess?"

"I have a mission for you, my dear."

"A mission? What mission can I possibly perform in my state?"

"A child has been born who has the power to destroy the world. She is child of the last Irdah and Chemosh. The Irdah knows nothing of the child, for Chemosh drugged her and kept her till she had the child. I need you to recover the child, without alerting the Chemosh to your intentions. This ch... she has the power to destroy the world, to give Chemosh power over all. Mina has spoken to me. She said you must be the one to save her and the world from Chemosh's clutches."

Minitha was terrified. How was she supposed to do this when she was pretty much incapable of doing anything? The priestess seemed to know what she was thinking, for she said,

"Mina will provide for her faithful. All you need do is agree to take on this task."

Minitha thought for a few minutes and then nodded.

"I will do it." she said softly.

"You will have help. The young man, Valum. He will go with you."

Minitha felt secretly glad, and she didn't know why. When Valum escorted her back to the altar, she asked him about it.

"You are to go on the mission with me?"

"Yes, lady. Mina has assigned me to be your guide."

Minitha smiled for the first time since she had lost her parents and sight. Perhaps the journey would not be as perilous as she thought. Perhaps she could make it worthwhile.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Minitha and Valum set off the next day. Minitha carried her pack in her hands. She didn't have much to carry. Just her other set of purple robes and her food and water skin. She felt the bright sunlight on her face, and the staff she carried in her hand tapped across the ruts in the road. Valum walked beside her, and his presence was comforting. She could smell the delicious smells from the bakery and the not-so-pleasant smells from the farms near the city. They walked toward Haven. The child was at Godshome, and the priestess said Mina would allow her clerics into the city. Minitha heard a shrill voice behind her and whirled around.

"Hullo, Madam! My name is Tasslehoff Burfoot the Third! You can call me Tas, though. Say, what remarkable robes you wear! How come they're purple? What god do you worship?"

Minitha had always had a strange fondness for kender. Her brother, Evan, had always laughed at her and called her Kenderlover, in a good-natured way. He was ten. Minitha forced her thoughts away from Evan, because thinking of him and her family was painful. They had never found the bodies of her brother and sister. Just her parents. Her sister, Laisha had been thirteen. Minitha smiled at the kender and said,

"I worship Mina, Goddess of Tears."

"Goddess of Tears? I've heard about Mina. Uncle Nightshade's ghost came to me and told me about her."

"Nightshade's ghost?" Valum stopped abruptly.

"Yes, sir. MY uncle Nightshade came to me before he went to the next life. He told me all about the adventures he had, about the sacred monk of Majere, and the grasshopper pin. It was really interesting." Tas said, solemnly.

"As interesting as that is, Tas, we have to get going." Minitha said gently.

"We've been sent on a sacred mission for Mina."

"Would Mina mind very much if I came too?" Tas asked.

"I love missions."

Minitha turned her eyes to Valum. She could see him shrug.

"I don't think she'd mind." said Minitha, smiling.

It would be nice to have some company that could be lighthearted and carefree. Valum moved closer to her and whispered,

"Be careful, he might steal our robes or our medallions."

Minitha laughed.

"I don't think he would." she said.

As they walked, they went further and further away from Solace. Minitha said farewell to her hometown, knowing she might never come back. The priestess had warned her it would be a perilous journey, and that they were risking their lives doing this. But Minitha reasoned with herself that the world was far more important than her life. If the world ended, she would die anyway, and if she did die and it saved the world, then all the better. She did not fear death. She knew it was a part of life. She knew her family walked with her, and so did Mina. She missed her family, but she realized they couldn't always be there. And the goddess would protect her if she was meant to stay alive.

"Minitha, come back." said Valum.

"You just got lost for a second."

"What?" Minitha asked, snapping out of her reverie.

"I asked where you wanted to stop for the night." Valum said.

Minitha realized it was getting dark. She had been daydreaming for a while now.

"Oh, I guess anywhere would be okay." Minitha said.

"Somewhere undercover, though." Tas said.

"Because you know, it'll be easier not to be attacked that way. Does Mina allow her clerics to carry weapons?"

"Yes." Valum said.

Minitha felt for the small dagger that was hidden in the folds of her robes. It was blessed by Mina and it would keep her safe, also the medallion had powers of its own. They stopped in a clearing, and Minitha could hear a stream burbling to itself peacefully.

"Wow, it's beautiful here!" Tas exclaimed in wonder.

"I wish you could see this, Minitha."

"Me too." Minitha sighed, and she tried to stop the flow of tears that threatened to overwhelm her. The fire had stov ""aything, her family, her home, and her sight. She unrolled her blanket and spread it by the fire. Valum took out some dried meat and bread that he had packed, and he sat beside her to eat. Tas was tending the fire.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Fine, why?" Minitha asked.

"I was just wondering, you know, because I can tell you're a little sad today."

"That's the reason I'm a cleric of Mina, isn't it?" Minitha asked.

"Or maybe it's because you wanj to comfort other people, you know, make them not have to go through what you're going through."

"There's no way to comfort anyone who's lost their family." Minitha said.

"Isn't there?" Valum asked, and he put his armound her and pulled her close to him.

Minitha felt warmth flare up in the pit of her stomach. But wait! Mina's clerics were supposed to be celibate! She knew what these feelings were, even though she had never experienced them before. Didn'j Valum know he was supposed to stay celibate?

"I'm going to refill my water skin." Tas said, interrupting the moment.

"Okay." Valum said.

When Tas was gone, Valum inched closer to Minitha.

"Wait!" she gasped.

"We shouldn't be doing this?"

"We haven't done anything yet." Valum said, his voice husky.

Suddenly, Tas came dashing back into the clearing, and they jolted apart.

"I saw tracki!" Tas gasped, excitement in his eyes.

"It looks like one of the Beloved are here!"

Valum jumped to his feet. Minitha followed suit.

"Does it look like its headed here?" Minitha asked, fear clenching her heart.

Suddenly, she heard the breaking of twigs in the trees.

"I think there's your answer." said Tas.

Valum drew his sword, and Minitha had one hand on her medallion and another on her dagger. A man entered the clearing. He was very handsome, except for the emptiness of his eyes.

"Mina." he mumbled to himself.

Then his eyes rested on Minitha. Minitha didn't see this, she just saw him headed toward her.

"Swear your service to Chemosh!" the Beloved intoned.

Minitha held up her medallion, which was shining brightly. The Beloved covered its eyes and howled in agony. It kept heading toward Minitha, now with the intention of killing her. Then it saw the medallion's hard amber surface, and he said, "Mina!"

Heushed toward her. Valum, not thinking, lifted his sword and sliced off the Beloved's head. The head flew up and reattached itself to the severed neck, and the Beloved let out a horrible cackle. It grabbed hold of Minitha.


End file.
